Indian creatives have London on their minds.
Rahul Mishra, the first Indian designer to join the official Paris Couture Week calendar, is preparing to host a Diwali celebration in London on 15 October in partnership with Scottish whisky brand Johnnie Walker Blue Label. He is also in active discussions with potential London stockists, and exploring the possibility of a standalone store. “London has always been on our horizon,” Mishra says. “We are exploring how best to enter [the market] in a more permanent way. In the meantime, our dialogue with the UK continues through friends, clients and quiet engagements that occasionally surface in celebrations like this.”
Indian designers were also out in force during London Fashion Week (LFW) last month. Anamika Khanna — one of India’s most respected and senior designers — debuted her AK|OK label. London-based, Indian designer Harikrishnan Keezhathil Surendran Pillai, better known as Harri, showed ready-to-wear in his first independent show (after previously presenting more conceptual made-to-order creations as part of the British Fashion Council’s (BFC) Newgen programme). Other designers with Indian heritage who featured on the LFW schedule this season included Ahluwalia, Ashish, Perte D’ego, Pindiga Ranjith Kumar and Sanyukta Shrestha.
“As part of the BFC’s new strategy, we will be exploring deeper connections between our membership network and India,” says BFC CEO Laura Weir, who hosted a summer party for the UK’s Indian diaspora. “This strategic dialogue between India and Britain offers a way to celebrate cultural exchange, expand the reach of British fashion, and ensure that emerging designers with global relevance find a platform where their creativity can flourish. For the BFC, building deeper relationships with Indian designers and industry leaders strengthens our role as a convener of international talent, while also acknowledging the importance of South Asian influence on British culture and society.”
The UK is home to more than two million people of Indian origin, the country’s single largest ethnic minority group. There are deep historic ties, and while English is not India’s national language, it remains an official language across administration, law, education and business. The recent anti-immigration rally in London, which drew more than 110,000 demonstrators, was a reminder of the broader social climate shaping Britain today. (Ashish, known for embedding political commentary in his work, responded with a “Fashion Not Fascism” T-shirt in his Spring/Summer 2026 show.) However, driven by shared heritage and the opportunity for creative exchange, a new generation of Indian designers see London as both a platform and a partner.
“London is where the Venn diagram comes together perfectly,” says Gursi Singh, co-founder of contemporary label Lovebirds. The brand — which sells at Liberty and Harvey Nichols in London, Neiman Marcus in the US, and David Jones in Australia — recently marked its 10th anniversary by splitting its celebrations between Delhi and London.
The connection has been strengthened with the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025. While it has not yet been ratified, the agreement aims to give duty-free access for almost all Indian exports in textiles, apparel, footwear, leather goods and jewellery to the UK market. Previously, these faced duties of between 4 and 16 per cent.
By contrast, India faces some of the heaviest tariffs in the US market (currently set at 50 per cent), prompting many designers to re-evaluate their international strategies. “The US is scale, the UK is signal,” says Gaurav Gupta, who also presents at Couture Week and last year entered Harrods alongside hosting retail events with Neiman Marcus. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Gupta explains that while America remains an important market, he is concerned. “The upcoming US tariff shift is significant; customers will start feeling it early next year. That reality makes the UK and the rest of Europe even more attractive.”
Vogue Business breaks down tariffs by country and what the rates mean for fashion.
Earlier this year, London-based communications agency L52, which also has offices in New York, announced its expansion into India. Founder Adam Shapiro explains: “The UK has always been a natural market for Indian designers, thanks to the diaspora and strong cultural ties. The trade agreement now makes it more attractive on a practical level, too — by reducing import costs and improving ease of entry. At a time when post-Brexit trade with the EU has become more complex, India is well positioned to step into that space.”
London’s strategic positioning
Of course, for many designers seeking to expand in Europe, Milan and Paris are critical from a business perspective — while London is still playing catch-up.
When it comes to sales and buying, Paris remains the anchor. “It’s where global buyers make their decisions, and the concentration of showroom activity there keeps it central to the commercial calendar,” says Shapiro. “Milan is slightly different but equally important. Italy remains the heart of luxury manufacturing, coupled with major fashion businesses with real economic power. There’s also been a notable influx of international wealth into Milan recently, driven in part by shifts in global economic policy — including [in] the UK. As a result, Milan is increasingly important not just for the Italian industry broadcasting outwards, but also as a high-growth consumer market for luxury and VIC [very important customer] marketing.”
Gupta is looking to open a showroom and atelier in Paris, which he feels is a natural next step from the momentum he has built through his Paris couture shows. “Paris is where we write the creative thesis,” he says.
However, for many Indian designers — especially those seeking to expand into the US as well — London is strategically placed.
“London acts as a gateway for us to a huge international audience,” says Singh. Shapiro adds: “It is a more cost-effective market to enter than New York, and slightly less crowded than Paris — which can mean more visibility, especially during fashion week. It’s also a city that champions independent creativity, which aligns well with the ethos of many Indian designers. For the right brand, London is both a creative hub and a strategic launchpad.”
Many Indian creatives feel London is the most open of all the fashion capitals. “For too long, Indian fashion was viewed only as something ‘exotic’. Today, it is being recognised for its craft, its modernity and its global relevance. London, with its diasporic roots and cosmopolitan outlook, is the right place for this integration,” says Mishra. “This is not only about market presence; it is about cultural recognition. Indian fashion belongs on the same stage as its global counterparts, and London is helping make that a reality.”
Khanna’s contemporary luxury label, established in 2021, is designed to be easy to wear, Indian at heart but globally fluent. For independent brands like AK|OK, London offers a more accessible, less saturated space compared with New York, Paris or Milan. “I think London came as a natural choice. AK|OK always started with the idea that we wanted to build a brand out of India that would know no boundaries,” Khanna says. “When we were figuring out the best place to show, I felt that because the brand has this distinct language and doesn’t really follow set rules of dressing, London seemed the obvious choice.”
The capital has managed to position itself as both a cultural ally and a commercial gateway for Indian labels. Khanna plans to return to London Fashion Week next season, convinced the city is only at the beginning of its journey. “London is a city full of possibilities and positivity for independent global labels in the contemporary space,” she says.
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